


The Mask

by Eclipse_Tyrant



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eldia, Gen, It’s a rough ride, Marley - Freeform, Nobody is Safe, The Rumbling, Titan Shifters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclipse_Tyrant/pseuds/Eclipse_Tyrant
Summary: You’d like to be a Titan Shifter, right? Except for the Curse, you’d think it’s pretty nifty. Well, it’s not. The life of a Shifter begins and ends in cannibalism. It’s a life that can survive decapitation with preparation. It’s a life of blood and lightning, and a Warrior has it even worse.And I’ve been dropped into it.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. A Grim Reminder

“Wake up.”

_  
A voice. A tired, old voice, on a tired old woman. She holds a syringe, and presses it into my small hands. The walls are crystal, the room alight. _

_ “This Titan is the Masked Titan. It is not fast, nor strong, nor excessively large. It is not the best, but it is adaptable and agile. Like the Female Titan, it can harden. Unlike the Female, it cannot attract Pure Titans. Like the Jaw, it can leap and maneuver, but it requires skill to utilize. My memories will help you some, but you will need to learn as you go. Inherit it, Fabio Kocher, and use it well.” _

_ A pinch in my arm.  _

_ And the room of light becomes darkness. _

_ A few seconds drawn out into an eternal nightmare. _

“Fabio! We need to go, the Titans are awakening! It’s day!” I wake up, to see an impossible face. It’s... Reiner. From Attack on Titan. He’s young, young as he was when he broke the Inner Gate.

How is this possible?

This has to be a dream. It can’t be reality. I’ll really wake up in a second. I’ll laugh about it with my friends. 

“Get moving!” Another voice shouts. I’m hoisted to my feet, and shoved by someone else I recognize. 

Annie Leonhart, also young. I blink, noticing Bertholdt. 

“Where’s... Marcel?” I ask through a dry throat. The others don’t respond. 

We start walking through the tall grass, an occasional tree piercing the soil to claw at the sun. In the distance a dark line can be seen past a few hills.

Wall Maria.

It’s a shame how beautiful the scenery is. It’s like a postcard, rolling green grass beneath pale clouds and a crystal-pure blue sky. The grass ripples in the wind, waves of verdant green undulating like the sea. The soil is light, fertile and crumbling. A few deer tracks can be seen, and an actual deer in the distance.

“Annie, you need to transform. You’ll summon the Titans and you, Bertholdt, will destroy the gate. Then we’ll attack the inner gate, Fabio. You’ll cover me as I take it out.” I’m conflicted. I’m not a murderer, and hopefully never will be. But I’m not going to actually break the gate.

I’m just watching Reiner.

A blast of lightning, and Annie crouches above us. Her hand picks us up, gentle as can be, and sets us on her shoulders. I grab a clump of blond hair with one hand, and cover my ears as best as I can as she screams.

It’s a primal screech, a bone-rattling sound that sends shivers up my spine.

Then she begins to sprint, occasionally roaring as the Titans gather.

First a few, smiling like cannibalistic mental patients, which they basically are. 

Then tens. 

Then more than I can count. 

The anime and manga, and even the film, never truly caught the horror of a Pure Titan. They’re morbidly fat, or hideously emaciated, with distended limbs and deformed proportions. They walk with an awkward, painful gait, limbs quivering in excitement and mouths agape as they try to devour us. Some are contorted in seeming pain, clutching themselves, or drooling in horrible bloodlust. A few are closer to human, but still awkward and grotesque in their mindless desire to feed.

Annie keeps away, close enough to entice, but never too close. After the horde is big enough, she charges ahead at full tilt. We cling to her like drowning rats, every step threatening to hurl us off her shoulders. That would be death.

It would be better to die on impact than to survive and be eaten.

After hours have passed, and the sun had grown low, Shiganshina is close enough for us to finally dismount our improvised steed. I watch as Bertholdt transforms in a colossal blast of lightning. His foot draws back, and the gate shatters in an instant.

I watch the Smiling Titan enter Shiganshina. I watch as Reiner gathers Bertholdt and Annie, and I transform with the aid of a small dagger. A wish in my heart.

_Protect them._

Lightning, and my sight dims. The air steams, blinding fire and light coiling like venomous serpents. My eyes clear, and I realize that I’m almost as tall as Reiner’s Titan now.

I take Annie and Bertholdt in my mouth, a seam splitting my stiff face from ear to ear. My face feels hard as diamond when my fingers brush it. We advance, through the hell of Titans feasting on human flesh. Men and women are helpless in their hands. I wish I couldn’t see, but it’s inescapable. 

The slaughter makes me sick. These are human beings, and I’m letting them die. 

It’s unavoidable. 

Or is that just a lie I tell myself?

The inner gate appears. I pick up my pace, as does Reiner, cannonballs flying like buckshot.

As I charge, one cannonball lances towards my face. 

My hand extends, sparkling in the sunset.

A sound like thunder.

My hand is crystal blueish-white, the cannonball shattered like glass. Smoke and the smell of gunpowder fill my nose.

“What is that thing?! What are they?!” A soldier shouts. 

_We’re monsters_ ,  I think sadly.  _ Monstrous children. _

The Armored Titan rams the gate, sending broken men and cannons flying. I slam a foot into the ground, slowing with a noise like tearing concrete. I rise, and walk through the bloody carnage.

I step through the broken gate after Reiner, with tears in my eyes. I didn’t want to be in this situation. But I am. 

My eyes pick up a boat. Eren is there, I know, vowing vengeance. As Reiner lets out steam from his plated jaws, I step closer to the river. Eren is there, green eyes livid with fury. They meet mine. 

I want to apologize.

My mouth is too stiff. Annie and Bertholdt are in the way. I am mute.

I settle for averting my gaze.


	2. Plots and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our protagonist begins to make a plan.

I look into the mirror, breathing deeply.

I’m completely different from my old body. My hair is black and mid-length, and my skin is more tanned. I’m built better as well, probably from Marleyan training. My eyes are a dark brown. My features are angular, gaunt, almost starved.

Even after two years in this new body, it’s bizarre. Blending into the Warriors was even weirder. These were people I’d seen on television. Characters. 

They weren’t... real then.

But now they are. And I’m one of them. 

Fabio didn’t exist in the show. The Mask Titan didn’t either. I wasn’t a part of the original equation. 

That scared me. 

“Fabio! Hurry up, the rest of us need to go too!” Connie shouted. I sighed.

[___[___[___]___]___]

“So you saw the Colossal Titan? What did it look like?” Someone asked Eren. 

We were in the barracks, after meeting Shadis and getting shouted at. I felt like I’d gotten the worst of it, but that probably wasn’t the case. Still, barely being able to squeak out your own name wasn’t a good way to start.

“It looked like a normal Titan, but with no skin, and big enough to look over the wall.” I remembered seeing Bertholdt loom above me, raw muscle glowing with molten veins of blood. The stench of ozone, and the plumes of steam belching from his bubbling flesh. The conversation continued, but I was barely listening. 

“Did you see the Armored and Masked Titans?” Connie asked. Eren frowned.

“I did, but they looked like normal Titans to me. The Mask walked through the gate after the Armored, and I swear it looked right at me.”

“It did?” I asked. “What did it look like?”

“I already said it looked like a normal Titan, but it had a creepy bone-white face. Nearly the worst thing I saw.”

“What was the worst?” Connie asked. Eren dropped his spoon, and covered his mouth. I cringed.

“Maybe we should stop guys, I’m sure Eren would rather forget some things,” Marco said. He was a nice guy. Already, he was the closest thing to a friend I had. 

I hoped he would survive. I really did. 

Armin and Mikasa were nice enough, if a little distant. That was mostly Mikasa, to be fair, but I didn’t want to get too close. I was their enemy. Fabio, real or otherwise, wasn’t an ally of these people. 

I had learned a bit about Fabio. He’d been a friendly, non confrontational guy. Bookish, but not excessively. I, on the other hand, could barely decipher the writings of the Walls. All I hoped was that I’d pass the tests.

[___[___[___]___]___]

Armin looked over my shoulder at my pathetic attempt to write ‘in the year 845’. After five tries, I still couldn’t get it down properly. 

“Do you need help?” Armin asked. I nodded, and he sat next to me at the bench. 

“What are you trying to write?” He said.

“In the Year 845,” I replied sheepishly. “I wanted to write an essay about the Walls breaking. Dumb, huh?” Armin smiled.

“I don’t think so. It’s good to preserve history, especially when it has such a huge impact.” 

“Those who forget the mistakes of the past are bound to repeat them,” I quoted. His eyebrows furrowed.

“What’s that from? It sounds familiar.” I shrugged, and turned to the paper. He leaned closer.

“May I?” He asked, reaching out for the pen. I gave it to him.

“So, the word ‘in’ is written like...”

[___[___[___]___]___]

After a few hours of strenuous learning, I feel better about the essay. I was never good at writing on plain paper, manually, but I think I may be better with this language. It’s ironic, how the world works sometimes.

After that, I feel closer to Armin. Eren and Mikasa still scare me, but at least I have a few friends. To counter that, there’s Jean and most of the other cadets. I just don’t fit in here. 

_ The baseball bounced towards my door, coming to a stop by the steps. After a moment, I walk out of the house. A gang of children wielding crude bats and mitts watch from a distance. _

_ “Can I join?” I ask. They turn away, snickering and muttering.  _

_ I throw the ball as hard as I can, and it arcs towards the rooftop. A bounce, and it is lodged in the gutter.  _

I come back to myself, lying on my back in the barracks. A circle of faces looms above me, expressions of concern evident. 

“What... happened?” I ask. Reiner looks most concerned. 

“You fell. Do you want me and Bertholdt to help you outside?” It wasn’t a question. I nodded, and allowed Reiner to heave me to my feet.

After we’re outside, Reiner sets a hand on my shoulder. 

“Are you okay? Ever since... then, you’ve been strange. It wasn’t as bad, but recently you’ve been more clouded.” I blink, trying to clear my mind.

“It’s just... memories. Or dreams. They’re really real. Honestly, I’m fine.” Bertholdt pats my shoulder.

“You can always talk to us. We’re all... Warriors.” I nod, and make my way back to the door.

Tomorrow’s the day we learn ODM.

[___[___[___]___]___]

The basic rig is surprisingly easy to learn. Even me, clumsy oaf I am, get the hang of it quickly. Eren has trouble, of course, but I’m not worried about him. I know how this story goes.

I wish I didn’t.

I wish I could stop the breach of the Walls. I wish I could go home, my real home, with internet (oh God, I’d sacrifice an arm for an hour on the web) and real food. Not bland soup, and bland bread, and bland potatoes. I don’t even know how Attack on Titan ends, for Pete’s sake!

I’m not a Warrior.

I shouldn’t be a Shifter.

But... I am. This is what I have to live through. 

I’m going to succeed. Maybe I’ll never hit the Top Ten, but I’ll do my best. I’ll join the Survey Corps. I’ll play out this show until I can make a real difference.

I begin to make a plan as I unbuckle from the rig.

I’ll survive.


	3. Lightning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, seeing as we already know how this scene goes down, I focused on the main character’s thoughts as things went.

It is the Year 850. Atop the Wall, Trost seems peaceful. It seems like any other day. I know better. The Wall will be broken, and people will die.

My prediction comes true as Bertholdt activates his power. Quick as lightning the Colossal Titan reappears, and I swing away as his hand sweeps away the cannons. Eren darts around the Colossal Titan, dancing with ease around its limbs. 

Steam blasts from it, and as Eren goes for the kill, Bertholdt vanishes. The damage, however, is already done. The gate is broken, and the Titans are approaching. Time to fight. 

“Reiner! What now?!” I exclaim. He looks at me with a confident expression.

“We pull back and wait for orders.”

[___[___[___]___]___]

I stand on the rooftop, close to Reiner and Bertoltolt. Annie and Marco are off to the side, the rest of the cadets scattered around the rooftops. In the distance, the castle is mobbed by Titans. One small one, I see, falls off the wall of the castle. I wonder what it would be like, to be trapped like rats. I’ve had nightmares like that.

“Reiner, what now?” Bertoltolt asks.

“Not yet. We’ll let them gather first.” He responds.

Mikasa arrives. I watch as she asks why nobody is scaling the Wall. Watch as she hears of Eren’s supposed death. I watch, and my heartstrings throb when Armin lists the deaths of Squad 34. I remember Mina. She was nice. 

But she died anyway. 

What’s the point, if we die anyway? I have eight years left, after all. My plan may not work. Even if it does... who knows how it’ll turn out?

Mikasa finishes her speech, and swung away. The rest of the cadets roar, flush with bravado, and fly to their deaths. I reluctantly follow. 

[___[___[___]___]___]

I freeze as Eren’s Titan punches a pair of Titans off the castle. His roar shatters windows, and then his head vanishes past the gaping hole in the wall. I follow the rest of the group, listening to the plan.

I’m assigned a gun. After being bundled into the lift, I shiver. I don’t know how I’ll react to the face of a Titan right up to mine, but I’d rather not find out. The ride is slow, quiet, and chilling.

Then we emerge from the ceiling, the Titans wandering aimlessly. One looks straight at us, and begins to advance. I whimper, as do a few other people. The Titans close in, clumping as they do so.

Then their dead eyes are close enough to touch.

“Fire!” Marco shouts.

I pull the trigger, and the eye of a Titan explodes. Most of them are slain, but Connie and Sasha fail. They get close, only to fall. Annie and Mikasa stand atop the disintegrating corpses, blades wet.

We did it.

[___[___[___]___]___]

As the Pure Titans fall apart, killed by Eren, I stop to watch Eren’s Titan. Eren’s ravaged Titan collapses, his body emerging from the steaming nape. I nod to myself, as Mikasa and Armin fly down. 

“I knew it,” I remark to Annie. “He was always... different.” 

[___[___[___]___]___]

With full tanks of gas, we flee to the Wall. The Titans are close, drawn to us after the hours of slaughter. With no way into Wall Maria, they’ll just wander until slain.

I swing, blades slashing through Titan flesh, and feel a rush of euphoria. The thirteen-meter Titan’s my first kill, and I’m near Annie and Reiner if something goes wrong. As I close in on them, I feel a sharp pain in my legs.

The Titan smiles at me, a hand reaching up to its mouth to grab me.

I scream, and Annie swoops down and pares the nape away with a single slash.

I fall, caught up by Bertholdt, and hit the roof with a grunt. There’s a trail of red. A huge swath of blood. My... blood. 

My legs are gone beneath the knee.

I scream, pure animal instinct clawing my mind to pieces of madness. Reiner and the others are there in an instant. 

“Annie, please,” I choke out. “Please help me.”

“Grab some clothes off a dead soldier,” Reiner shouts. “Quickly! Fabio, force the healing! You can do it!”

I force myself to stare at the steaming stumps. Please heal. Please. The flesh bubbles, growing painfully slowly. Bones slowly extend from the stump of my legs.

“W-what is this?!” Marco shouts. “Why are you... healing?!” My eyes widen. 

Reiner turns, eyes dark. 

I gasp. Try to intervene. 

My bloody hands scrabble at Reiner’s legs, as I scream.

“Reiner, don’t! I’ll kill you first!” Lightning flashes, and my world goes white.


End file.
